This invention relates generally to a handle for lifting a portable air handling unit and, in particular, to a hidden carrying handle suitable for use with a portable air purification unit that is fully contained within a light-weight housing.
As the air we breathe becomes more contaminated, the need for better, higher efficiency air purification equipment becomes more pronounced, particularly in the more densely populated areas. Much of the air pollution in these populated regions is caused by automobile exhaust emissions and industrial plants that bum fossil fuel in order to satisfy their power demands. This type of pollution is difficult to cleanse from the air and cannot be effectively handled by conventional filters found in furnace and air conditioning systems. As a consequence, people who suffer from respiratory ailments are oftentimes forced to remain indoors when the air quality drops below a certain safe value. Ideally, while indoors, these people should breathe air that has been circulated through a high efficiency air purifying system. This type of system is typically costly and not easily transported from place to place. Inexpensive portable units are available however, the dependability and operability of these units is sometimes less than satisfactory.
Some air purification units, although portable, tend to be relatively heavy, while the housing containing the equipment on the other hand, is usually made of light-weight plastic and thus tends to be relatively weak. As a consequence, handles that are attached to the housing can easily fail at the point of attachment. Oftentimes the weight of the equipment stored within the housing is unequally distributed with relation to the carrying handle and, as a result, the unit becomes unbalanced when lifted by the handle. This unbalanced condition makes the unit difficult to carry from place to place and, under certain conditions, can pose a hazard to the person attempting to lift or carry the unit. Lastly, most exposed carrying handles are aesthetically unpleasing and destroy the lines of an otherwise attractive housing. Attempts to hide the handles within the housing have been less than successful because hidden handles again tend to be relatively weak and do not provide sufficient surface area to allow for a firm safe grip on the housing.